Choosing How You Spend Your Time

I just read an interesting post on ShoeMoney about being more productive by cutting the dead weight in your schedule so you can be more productive. O.K., "dead weight" wasn't the word used by ShoeMoney, but this is a G-rated blog, so you'll have to go with it.

The problem is that he defines "dead weight" as including watching sporting events, playing video games, and spending time with friends. I was with him on the TV and video game part, but he kind of lost me on the spending times with friends issue.

Life is all about relationships. Our happiness is dependent often on the quality of those relationships. Time with family and friends is critical for personal, as well as business success.

Don't get me wrong. I totally agree with the spirit of the ShoeMoney post - if you're going to get anywhere in business you need to prioritize your time and manage it well. I have heard lots of people who are not successful whine about not having enough time only to notice that they waste a lot of it by thoughtlessly spending it on frivolous things.

The key here is thoughtlessly. The same sporting event can be a waste of time for one person and well-spent time for another. For example, if you're watching the ball game by yourself instead of taking care of a business-related task, it may be a waste of time for you. On the other hand, if you are sitting with your teenager and using that as an opportunity to talk with him and develop that relationship a bit, that's a very well-spent use of the time for you.

Successful people, and those on their way to success, have to make tough judgments about how to use their time. It is possible to choose people and relationships and still be successful in business. Without having the first, the second is meaningless.